A judge has labelled convicted paedophile and former Barmah resident Noel (Ned) Russell a liar who has no remorse.

Judge Richard Maidment made the comments when he sentenced Russell, 69, to four years imprisonment, with a two-year non-parole period, in Melbourne County Court on Friday.

Russell, who has been in jail since 2008, was found guilty on May 12 on two counts of buggery which relate to crimes committed in Echuca between 1966 and 1967, while the male victim was aged between 13 and 14.

Russell has denied all the allegations.

Informant in the case, Detective Senior Constable Peter Colliver said Judge Maidment told the court he found beyond reasonable doubt that Russell lied in his evidence about his relationship with the victim and showed no remorse.

Det. Sen. Constable Colliver said the matter first went to trial in December 2011, when Russell was sentenced to six years imprisonment after being found guilty of six counts of buggery.

Russell successfully appealed his conviction and another trial was held in January this year, resulting in a hung jury.

A new started on May 5 and Russell was found guilty on two counts of buggery and acquitted on the other four counts.

Russell was sentenced to 3 years’ jail for each count, with six months on the second count being served cumulatively, making the total effective sentence four years with a non-parole period of 3 years.

Combined with his sentence for previous offences in 2009, Russell’s total prison term is 11 years and five months, with an 8-year non-parole period.

Russell absconded from matters listed in NSW in 2005 and was extradited from Western Australia to Victoria in 2008.

The Riv TV

CFA crews attended a house fire in Tongala yesterday.
Nine tankers were called to the fire, on the corner of Finlay and Day roads, about 3.11pm.
It is believed the back of the house has been completely damaged and the owners have been re-homed.